DELTACOLLEGIATE
Volume 86 • Issue 6
STUDENT RUN SINCE '61
March 23, 2020
The Collegiate goes to NYC Pg. 5
Public schools give free meals Pg. 2
Ways to enjoy your #quarantine pg. 6
2 NEWS
www.deltacollegiate.org
March 23, 2020
Free meal pickup destinations and times for Bay City Public Schools, each held in parking lot: Bay City Central High School 11:30 a.m. - noon Bay City Western High School 11:30 a.m. - noon Hampton Elementary School noon - 12:20 p.m. Jordan Green • Reporter
Employees of Bay City Public Schools greet cars to hand out free meals to students in need during a statewide executive order to shut down all schools k-12 to combat the spread of coronavirus.
Bay City Public Schools give students free meals during COVID-19 pandemic Jordan Green Reporter @Jordan_Green6
BAY CITY – When Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued the executive order for all schools to shut down from March 16 until April 5, many kids were excited for the unexpected break. On the other hand, a mandatory three-week closure is leaving some students anxious about finding their next meal. The Bay City Public School system came up with a plan to tackle the issue by giving away two days worth of breakfast and lunch, for free, to families and students in need. The drive-thru fashion of the meal distribution takes place at eight locations and started on Wednesday,
March 18. The days for the free meal pick-up are Monday, Wednesday and Friday through April 5. Bay City Central High School offers all of its students free and reduced lunch, many of whom rely on the school to provide them with their meals. Principal Tim Marciniak says the school district plans to continue the free meal distribution over spring break, something that hasn’t been done before. Marciniak says Bay City Central High School has over 400 breakfasts and lunches to give to families in need, and that the school is here to help its students who need assistance during this difficult time. “The fear of where my food is coming from is going to go up,” says Marciniak. “That’s why we’re doing this service throughout the city; to help our students out.” The school has already coordinated
shipment plans to restock the food they’re giving away. Marciniak was nervous to have the school shut down with such short notice, especially considering there were no plans put in place. However, through the generosity of the community, he has said he sees a silver lining. “It’s tough to see this right now,” remarks Marciniak. “I’m full of pride and I’m very proud of my staff here and the community for helping out. It’s still tough to see how much need is in Bay City for this right now; it’s positive and negative.” Milton Mackey, a general maintenance employee for the school district, was there to help unload the food late Wednesday morning and says the school district is there to help support the kids. “I like this,” Mackey comments. “It’s good for the community.”
Handy Middle School 11:30 a.m. - noon Kolb Elementary School 11:30 - 11:50 a.m. MacGregor Elementary School 11:30 - 11:50 a.m. Mackensen Elementary School noon - 12:20 p.m. McAlear-Sawden Elementary School, 11:30 - 11:50 a.m.
NEWS 3
www.deltacollegiate.org
MARCH 23, 2020
Coronavirus concerns affect voter turnout and campaign objectives in the presidential primaries Sadie Shepherd Page Designer @DCSadieShepherd UNIVERSITY CENTER – As the coronavirus pandemic closes schools, restaurants and entire cities across the nation, the presidential primary season continues – but not without a few hiccups. Three states held primaries on Tuesday, March 17, as the panic surrounding the virus was becoming palpable to Americans. Florida, Illinois and Arizona voters took to the polls with the main deliberation being between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination. Ohio was also set to vote on Tuesday until the question of safety surrounding the virus came up. The Ohio primary will now take place in June. While Illinois, Florida and Arizona chose to continue with their elections, the virus brought on many challenges. In Florida and Illinois, polling locations were changed with very little notice to voters which – along with late poll openings and short-staffed voting halls – caused delay and discouragement for those waiting to vote. These issues were directly related to the coronavirus pandemic, with officials scrambling to find safer alternate polling locations and many volunteer election workers opting to stay home to prevent risking infection. The effects of these complications can be seen in low voter turnout. According to the Chicago Tribune, 30% of registered voters in the city made it to the polls this year, excluding absentee ballots, compared to 53.5% turnout in the 2016 presidential primary. The New York Times reported that day-of turnout in Florida also dwindled this year. Despite the unforeseen circumstances that these states faced, the mail-in voting options that citizens utilized helped compensate for the reduction in
day-of voting. Florida’s overall voter turnout ended up around 2 million, including 1.1 million who voted by mail – up from 1.7 million in the 2016 primary cycle. Arizona defied the odds and had great turnouts both in-person and through mail-in means with around 500,000 people casting a ballot compared to 410,000 in 2016, according to Vox. Coronavirus has not only caused uncertainty in the primary process, but has also caused the remaining presidential nominees to reevaluate their platforms. The candidates have been forced to cancel rallies nationwide, opting to connect with voters through virtual means with livestreaming. Prior to the March 17 primaries, CNN hosted a debate in their Washington D.C. newsroom between Biden and Sanders.
The debate was originally set to be hosted in Phoenix, Arizona to prepare for the contest in that state, but to minimize contamination risk for both the candidates and their supporters, the network changed locations and the event took place without an audience. The virus and its implications dominated the first 40 minutes of the debate, allowing the candidates to outline their strategies to “flatten the curve” while also maintaining the economy. Sanders took this opportunity to reaffirm his support of universal healthcare. “We are the only major country on Earth not to guarantee health care to all people,” Sanders said. “We're spending so much money and yet we are not even prepared for this pandemic.” Biden, on the other hand, says
the solution is temporary relief for those affected by the virus. “It has nothing to do with Medicare for all; that would not solve the problem at all,” said Biden. “We can take care of that right now by making sure that no one has to pay for treatment, period, because of the crisis. No one has to pay for whatever drugs are needed, period, because of the crisis. No one has to pay for hospitalization because of the crisis, period. That is a national emergency and that's how it's handled.” While Biden won all three states on Tuesday, Sanders remains in the race as the fate of future primary contests and even the general election hang in the balance of the increasing threat of coronavirus.
4 NEWS
www.deltacollegiate.org
March 23, 2020
Photos courtesy of New Hope Bay Assisted Living and Memory Care Community
Above: New Hope Bay Assisted Living and Memory Care Community located at 668 N Pine Rd. Bay City. Right: Residents at New Hope Bay Assisted Living and Memory Care Community enjoy a fun game of 'don't let the balloon touch the floor' with styrofoam pool noodles.
Assisted living facility, New Hope Bay Independent Living, receives praise for shutdown Jordan Green • Reporter @Jordan_Green6 BAY CITY – If you planned on seeing grandma over this extended spring break, don’t. Because nursing homes and senior assisted living facilities are shut down to the public in the wake of the fast spreading coronavirus, or COVID-19. While Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered a temporary shutdown of bars, restaurants, clubs, movie theaters, gyms and casinos from March 16 until April 13, care facilities across the state have also shut down to protect their residents and staff as a necessary precaution. The New Hope Bay Independent Living closed to the public last Friday, March 13 to prepare for the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first two cases of coronavirus in Michigan were reported on March 10. Many senior care facilities have serious protocols already in place to prepare for unusually rough flu seasons. Director of operations at New Hope Bay, John Czarnecki, says that includes several hand sanitizer stations throughout the building, sanitizing the building more frequently and limiting
contact to the outside world. Employees are to enter and exit through one door, sanitize when they walk in and have their temperatures checked. Caregivers also have their own protocols and are encouraged to stay home if any symptom, flu-related or not, emerges throughout their shift or at home.
For us, it's just a matter of everybody trying to take care of themselves and to be smart about what we're doing. That's how we can best help each other - John Czarnecki Director of Operations, New Hope Bay Czarnecki called the families and received appreciation and gratitude for the decision to close the facility to the public to ensure the safety and health of his residents. “They all were overwhelmingly appreciative; that does not take away from your son or daughter coming in to visit you or vice versa being able to see your mom or dad,” assures Czarnecki. “So
what we do now is set up FaceTime phone calls or Skype phone calls where we can get them more active […] to try to fill that void.” Czarnecki says his staff is keeping their residents' spirits up during this time by having goofy karaoke sessions or group sing-alongs to lighten the mood of having zero visitors. “These are the times when you really show your passion for taking care of others, because it would be a lie to say that a healthcare worker today isn’t putting themselves at risk,” explains Czarnecki on his employees' dedication during this difficult time. “And yet, they're willing to do that to be able to take care of another person and that's really the core of why they do what they do.” While entering a facility is off limits, nursing homes and senior care centers can be supported through the donation of any helpful supplies in this unprecedented pandemic. Supplies can be dropped off at the doorstep outside and can include hand sanitizer or a simple cheery card to make a resident’s day. “I think everybody is supporting everybody else at this point,” says Czarnecki. “For us, it's just a matter of everybody trying to take care of themselves and to be smart about what we're doing. That's how we can best help each other.”
COLLEGIATE LIFE 5
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MARCH 23, 2020
The Collegiate travels to New York City as COVID-19 pandemic mounts Crystal Gwizdala Managing Editor @CrystalGwizdala Patrick Sochacki Editor-in-chief @SochackiPatrick UNIVERSITY CENTER, NEW YORK CITY – We left for New York City at 5 a.m. on Wednesday, March 11. The goal was to learn everything we could at the College Media Association (CMA) conference and to compete against other college newsrooms nationally. And we were ready to represent Delta and win awards. The COVID-19 outbreak never left our minds. No restrictions had been set yet, but as members of the media, we were constantly checking for updates. Universities were beginning to place international travel bans on non-essential travel, but not Delta. We were optimistic and we were grateful for the privilege to attend the conference. As we’re waiting to board our flight at the Detroit Wayne Airport, we found out that the Iron Reporter challenge was canceled. The hours of research our team had invested into turning around a compelling news package was now pointless. Two of the five pre-convention workshops were also canceled. Thursday morning greeted us with more session cancellations. Three of us were randomly selected to attend tours of major media outlets: ProPublica, Democracy Now! and VICE. All media tours were canceled. In the Marriott Marquis elevator, we read the news story about Broadway shows getting canceled starting at 5 p.m. that day. A guest who shared the elevator with us muttered, “guess I’m out of $400,” as he plodded into the lobby. Our fellow reporter, Jordan Green, was heartbroken about missing Beetlejuice. “I was SO SO close to living the dream ,” Green wrote in a Facebook message. By the afternoon, New York governor Andrew Cuomo put in
place a ban of gatherings over 500 people and CMA honored it, despite only having 318 attendees. The conference originally had 787 registrants.The conference now ended on Friday at 5 p.m. instead of Saturday at 12:30 p.m. A few of us registered for the Photo Shoot-Out competition and we now only had one evening to snap an award-winning photo. Michael Pieper, our creative director, captured the winning photo based on the theme: (you guessed it) coronavirus. Despite even more cancellations on Friday, we were still able to pack our schedules (it helped that some of Saturday’s sessions were now crammed into Friday). We set out to win awards, and we did. In addition to the Photo Shoot-Out, the Delta Collegiate placed in the following categories at the Friday, March 13 ceremony: Best Tweet, second place Best Newscast, The Delta Beat, third place Saturday morning sang a somber tone. Of the 182 scheduled sessions, nearly half were canceled. I’d like to reiterate that we were incredibly grateful for the privilege to attend; yet, it felt like we had been robbed. We worried we wouldn’t be allowed to return home. Since the conference ended early, we had time before we needed to be at the airport. So, we did what journalists do best: we reported. New York City’s pulse, March 14 We poked our heads into the Manhattan Mall on Saturday, around 1 p.m. It was about as busy as the Fashion Square Mall on a Tuesday morning – a few people ambling through the cavernous halls. “It’s usually packed [in here],” says mall security guard Allison Dunham. “This is a ghost town right now; even outside, it’s a ghost town.” Dunham noticed something else during her security rounds: many of the homeless people were missing. “Every morning I got the
Crystal Gwizdala • Managing Editor The subway station at 34th Street and 7th Avenue, NE corner in New York City was eerily empty for a Saturday afternoon. March 14. same ones, doing the same thing,” says Dunham. “Right here ‘round the corner, there’s a little thing where the heat comes up; they usually sleep on that. [...] They’re gone. They’re gone.” Ex-veteran Mark Lodger, now homeless, hasn’t noticed any homeless missing. He shares his thoughts on the virus. “[It’s] really not much more than the flu, man,” says Lodger. “I actually know they’re idiots for wearing the masks. It’s not spreading out of the mask. [...] You might as well wear a gas mask when you walk around; it’s not gonna protect you.” Dunham resisted the idea of self-quarantining to prevent the spread of the virus, saying it was martial law. “I don’t wanna cause no problems, man, but I’m gonna go outside, just because. I’m not in jail. [...] I’m very strongwilled. You can’t tell me to stay home; that’s just– that’s sick.” As of March 20, all of New York is under quarantine. “We are so small we can do nothing; we just ask God why it is happening,” says Younghee Song, secretary of the NY Manhattan
Proclamation Missionary Team As we trudged down the steps into the subway station at 34th Street and 7th Avenue, NE corner, I felt chills come over me. The station was empty. I saw a custodial worker in a neon vest descend the steps across the station, sweeping up microscopic specs of garbage. It felt almost post-apocalyptic – I dodgedly glanced around, hoping zombies or ghouls wouldn’t come running toward me. We opted for a taxi to the airport. Taxi driver Eric Opokuware echoed Dunham’s remarks on New York City becoming a ghost town. As for the novel coronavirus, Opokuware said, “I take it out of my mind.” “I’ve been flying for over 12 years and I’ve never seen it like this,” says Meghan Schulz, Delta Airline flight attendant. “[...] The flights are all like this – they’re wide open.” Even after 9/11, it had never been like this, Schulz added, recalling what her senior coworkers shared with her. Upon returning to the TriCities, the Collegiate staff who went to New York City chose to self-quarantine as a precaution.
6 OPINION
www.deltacollegiate.org
March 23, 2020
'Stargirl' misses its non-conformist roots and lands in 'Manic Pixie Dream Girl' territory Sadie Shepherd Page Designer @DCSadieShepherd While the term Manic Pixie Dream Girl (MPDG) was first coined in 2007, it is a trope that can be found across media, past and present. An MPDG is a female character who exists solely to reinvigorate the male protagonist through her sense of adventure and quirkiness. At first look, the book 'Stargirl' seems like it would be the perfect example of this trope. The book follows Leo Borlock in his junior year of high school and shows the relationship he forms with the ever-interesting new girl, Stargirl Caraway.
Like her name suggests, Stargirl is unlike anyone Leo has ever met. From her pet rat Cinnamon, who she constantly carries around, to the way she serenades every student on their birthday, Stargirl disregards social norms in favor of what she wants to do. Much like how an MPDG would, Stargirl begins to affect Leo and how he views what "normal” is. Stargirl, though – rather than being a side character written out of convenience to drive the plot home – is the entire reason for the story. We get to know and appreciate her for more than just her relationship with Leo. While the book is able to
escape the entanglements of the MPDG trope, the movie – released on Disney+ on March 13 – manages to do the exact opposite. Stargirl is played by ukulele-wielding Grace Vander-
Waal, winner of “America's Got Talent” season 11. Although the book's take on its namesake shows her with a true non-conformist attitude, VanderWaal's version seems to walk the line of odd and trendy in the age of 2020. Rather than frolicking on the football field during a game and kicking the ball herself like in the book, the movie shows Stargirl strum her ukelele while she crosses the field singing her rendition of "Be True to Your School" by the Beach Boys. Instead of Stargirl's personal choices affecting people inadvertently, her actions in the movie seem to be strategic and inauthentic,
ruining the entire point of her marching to the beat of her own drum. This is further exacerbated by the fact that the movie is too short for us to truly get to know Stargirl, and thus she is easily reduced to being Leo's muse. Perhaps the main difference between the book and its film adaptation is in the ending. In the book, Leo reflects on his relationship with Stargirl in a bittersweet, longing way, while Leo in the movie is left happy and inspired even when Stargirl makes her exit from his life – proving that you can't truly miss a character who was only meant to be a plot device.
How to combat cabin fever while in #quarantine Haeley Huggard Reporter @HaeleyHuggard SAGINAW – Most of the Michigan population has been ordered to stay home from work and school in response to the coronavirus outbreak. While being at home is great, staying in one place for an extended period can make us all feel a little bored. Here are some fun things to do while being stuck inside.
1. Have a movie night
Even if you live by yourself, having a movie night can be a fun way to relax and catch up on all those movies and TV shows you haven’t had time to watch. If you aren’t sharing a Netflix account with someone already and don’t feel like registering for one, there are several free movie apps that you can download, such as the Tubi app. Tubi has a decent variety of movies and shows to watch for free.
2. Get cleaning!
Now that we are stuck at home, we might as well clean it. Cleaning is a great way to not only kill time but kill those harmful germs and bacteria that may be lurking nearby.
5. Board games
Something fun we can do without using the internet is playing board games. Board games are fun if you have roommates or live with family or have children. If you’re playing Monopoly, try not to get mad and flip the board on everyone, okay?
3. Who says that baking can’t 6. Create an indoor obstacle be fun? It’s time to get out the baking course for your pets supplies and make yourself those cookies you’ve been wanting all semester but haven’t had the time to make. Baking is also fun for children; it keeps them entertained and is a great way to create new memories.
4. Arts and crafts
Arts and crafts are fun for children and adults! The best part about arts and crafts is that YouTube has tons of videos that walk you through how to create different projects. If you have a pre-existing project already started, now is the time to get back to working on it.
Animals can get bored too. Something that can be fun for both of you is to create an obstacle course for them to run through. Your pets will appreciate it and it’s a great way to spend time with them. An obstacle course is also a great way to give your pet some exercise in a more controlled environment than just outside.
7. Video games
Video games are another way to spend extra time. They don’t just have to be on a gaming console such as XBOX or PS4; they can be phone games or PC games. If you have a game you haven’t played for a while, now is the time to get back to it.
8. Catch up on that everexpanding reading list If you love to read, then you probably have a list of books that you haven’t had time to read – now is your chance to start checking some of those books off your list. One of the advantages of having technology is the ability to download an e-book on a device if you don’t have physical access to it.
9. Have an at home spa day!
If school or work has been keeping you too busy to properly take care of yourself, now is a perfect time to indulge. Cut those fingernails, paint those toenails, exfoliate those pores! It’s time for us to pamper ourselves.
10. Explore new hobbies and interests
You don’t have to go out to explore new talents and find new things that interest you. If you’ve been wanting to pick up that dusty guitar that's been in the corner of your room, or if you’ve been wanting to learn how to knit or sew, now you can. Self-quarantining doesn’t have to be about isolation, it can be about personal growth.